Violin rest



Nov. 22, 1949 ,1 MILLS 2,489,101

VIOLIN REST Filed April 5, 1948 INVENTOR. JZ'AA/Af) 7. M/us Patented Nov. 22, 1949 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE VIOLIN REST Stanley T. Mills, Highland Park, Mich.

Application April 5, 1948, Serial No. 19,126

3 Claims. 1

The invention relates to rests adapted for use in connection with violins, violas and other musical instruments of such type and it is the object of the invention to obtain an improved construction which afiords better support for the instrument thereby relieving muscular effort on the part of the player.

It is a further object to obtain a construction having portions affording, respectively, shoulder and chest support and in such angular relation to each other as to be most effective for this purpose.

Still further it is an object to obtain a cons'truction all portions of which are in fixed relation to each other and which when applied to the violin does not detract from the appearance thereof. With these objects in View the invention consists in the construction as hereinafter set forth.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is an end elevation of the rest with its upper violin engaging surface in horizontal plane; Fig. 2 is a cross section on line 22, Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a cross section on line 3-3, Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is a section on line 44, Fig. 2;

Fig. 5 is a top plan view indicating in dotted lines the positions of the shoulder and chest pads; and

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary perspective View of a violin showing the rest attached thereto.

The frame or body A of the rest may be made of any suitable light material sufliciently rigid to hold its shape, such for instance as wood, aluminum, plastic or magnesium. In plan view the opposite ends of this body are fashioned to conform to the curved sides of the large end. of the violin and are provided with bearing portions B and C (preferably rubber pads) for contact with the bottom of the instrument adjacent to its sides. A pair of upwardly extending lugs or flanges D and D overlap the sides of the instrument and a resilient loop E connected centrally between the ends is adapted to hook over a horn of the violin to retain the rest in position. Between the bearing pads B and C the upper face of the body A is depressed so as not to come into contact with any other portion of the instrument.

It is one of the features of my improved construction of rest that it is adapted to relieve muscular effort in holding the violin in substantially horizontal or playing position, This is accomplished by providing at one end of the body a shoulder pad F which is concaved to hook over the shoulder of the player and by further providing near the opposite end of the body a chest pad G. The latter has a convex surface but occupies a general plane which is oblique to the general plane of the shoulder pad F. This is illustrated in Figure 2 where the instrument engaging bearing B is horizontal. It will be noted that the general plane of the pad G is at an angle of 45 or more to the horizontal. Also, as indicated by the dotted line aa, the general plane of the shoulder pad is at a much smaller angle to the horizontal. These angles have been selected in View of the angular rela tion of shoulder and chest in the body of the average player. However, as the pad G is convex it can adapt itself to individual peculiarities and in each case will afford support for the instrument in substantially horizontal position. While the body A may be formed of any suitable material, the pads F and G are preferably formed of rubber or some similar soft resilient material which will hold its shape but will form a cushion bearing against the body.

With the construction as described when the rest is secured to the violin and the latter is placed in playing position, the pad F will hook over the shoulder of the player so as to hold the instrument from any tendency to slip towards the right. This relieves the left hand of the player from any holding or pushing action and permits complete freedom in fingering.

The body of the rest is preferably covered with a velvet-like material composed of minute rayon or similar fibers imbedded in adhesive. This produces a finish that will not stretch, tear, break or otherwise fail (as will velvet or similar fabrics previously used) and it can be replaced inexpensively when worn. The rest is small enough in dimension to fit in a standard violin case with the violin.

What I claim as my invention is:

l. A rest for musical instruments of the violin type, comprising a body extending across the bottom of the large end of the instrument and detachably secured thereto, said body having bearing portions adjacent the ends of its upper face, a concave pad attached to the lower face of the body at one end thereof and adapted to bear on the shoulder of the player, a convex chest pad also attached to the lower face of the body at the opposite end thereof, said lower face being inwardly curved and so shaped that the chest pad is spaced a substantiall greater distance from said upper face than is the shoulder pad.

2. A rest for musical instruments of the violin type, comprising a body extending across the bottom of the large end of the instrument and detachably secured thereto, said body having bearing portions adjacent the ends of its upper face, a concave pad attached to the lower face of the body at one end thereof and adapted to bear on the shoulder of the player, a convex chest pad also attached to the lower face of the body at the opposite end of said lower face, the general planes of said pads being inclined upwardly in the direction of the end of the instrument, the angle of said chest pad being substantially greater than that of said shoulder pad.

3. A rest for musica1 instruments of the violin type, comprising a body extending across the bottom of the large end of the instrument and detachably secured thereto, said body having bearing portions adjacent the ends of its upper face, a concave pad attached to the lower face of the body at one end thereof and adapted to bear on the shoulder of the player, a convex chest pad also attached to the lower face of the REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,431,007 Kenne Oct. 3, 1922 2,110,023 McGorman Mar. 1, 1938 2,208,824 Weinberg July 23, 1940 

